Tuesday, 10 November 2009

Cairns Regional Council is bracing for further instability following Deputy Mayor Margaret Cochrane's intention to rescind two motions previously passed and supported by her good mate Councillor Alan Blake.

At a special meeting tomorrow, Cochrane will move to revoke two votes at the Finance and Administration meeting, held just three weeks ago.

This centres around the extension of staff employment contracts for two senior managers. The contracts for Peter Tabulo, Acting CEO and Bruce Gardiner, GM Water and Waste, were extended until 1st April 2011, in line with the provisions of the Code of Practice.

Peter Tabulo, also holds the role as GM of Planning and Environment, and is acting as CEO until Lyn Russell starts in the role on Monday.

At the meeting on the 21st October, Councillors Robert Pyne and Kirsten Lesina moved the motions. Blake seconded it. Councillors Sno Bonneau, Margaret Cochrane, Linda Cooper, Nancy Lanskey and Paul Gregory, all voted against the motion. Alan Blake was the surprising omission. Maybe he was asleep, or didn't read the long two-syllable words before him. Or maybe he was txting to his special friend.

It will be interesting, although hardly surprising, that he now changes his vote.

There has been a pattern over recent months, for some Councillors to show little strategic direction when voting, with no foresight or cohesion.

This also occurred over the dumping of the Resident's Advisory group, that was agreed to by all Councillors at a workshop, only to be undermined by Cochrane and Blake at the subsequent meeting when it was voted on.

The rationale for the temporary extension to the two senior managers contracts for just 18 months, was to allow the new CEO to have control and influence over her executive team. However Cochrane seems to want to undermine that.

If the rescission motion is passed, and it will only take Blake to change his mind, Cochrane will push for a five year extension for the two senior managers, that flies in the face of the new CEO to manage and select her own team. However, Cochrane argues that this is needed for stability.

"Further consideration of this matter is warranted to ensure the continuation of high level knowledge and experience for the Council," Cochrane said in a letter to all Councillors.

It amazes me how such decisions are made, with no strategic thought, and minutes later they change their mind. It goes to show the type of people we have making such monumental decisions. They seem incapable of acting rationally and have the concentration of Homer Simpson, changing their mind when they don't get what they want.

6 comments:

For GOD sake, can't someone write a play about a Snake, a lazy fat deputy mayor and a two faced Cooper.It would be a comedy, with lots of licking, clawing, bitching maybe more licking etc.The Actors would have to be so dumb, so ignorant, and have lots of natural SLIME.... oh, maybe they could play themselves.I'll ring them now.in the meantime, I will have a go at writing the play myself.stayed tuned, Matron Penny Ford.

Matron Penny Ford, what a brilliant idea. Don't forget to include a John McKenzie ranting away and firing up the community with hate because a (gasp) WOMAN won the Mayoralty. You should be able to obtain some actual voice clips for the play, the ones where he is inciting hatred in the community. Don't forget a fat male former Mayor announcing importantly, "I NEVER had to pay to go onto Radio Station 4CA...."

McKenzie should feature quite a lot in the play, particularly with his role in "Cash for Comment" and how the media played down Kev Byrne's admission that he "never had to pay anything" in his ten years to appear on the John McKenzie show.Don't forget to include McKenzies onair sneering and laughing at the fallout from "Cash for Comment". He obviously finds it very amusing that he cost two people their jobs. McKenzie's prejudice towards Val has cost the ratepayers dearly.

"hey have you seen this" you missed some of the characters for your play.

Well so far you have a Snake, a fat lazy deputy mayor and a two faced Cooper.

I'm thinking if you stay with the Snake theme they would all be animals. You have :

- Rob the chameleon - a character with no true values, or who quickly abandons them in company if it's convenient to do so.

- Paul the Owl - a character associated with wisdom and prosperity, frequently known in history as a companion animal for the goddess. (Coops??). Henry David Thoreau summarized one perception of owls when he wrote in 1854's "I rejoice that there are owls. Let them do the idiotic and maniacal hooting for men." In other words they load the gun and he fires.

- Sno the Pet Parrot - he makes excellent companion and forms a close, affectionate bond with his owners. However he inevitibly requires an enormous amount of attention, care and intellectual stimulation to thrive, akin to that required by a three year old child.

Now we really must find an animal character for the other members of the original cast.

Margaret - how about - an Ostrich. Did you know lying down and hiding from predators, the ostrich lays its head and neck flat on the ground, making it appear as a nondescript dark lump. Ask your average paleontologist and they will probably tell you that ostrichs are evolved from dinosaurs. Some like Margaret haven't quite evolved yet.

Coops - what about a Lap Dog. Lapdogs have been used for pets, fashion accessories, status symbols, and to provide warmth for the wealthy and fashionable. Lapdogs were also used in earlier times to attract fleas away from their owners. Most kennel clubs list lapdog terriers in the Toy Group.

And as for the Snake - it really is an insult to snakes - he's more like a wild boar.

Adult males are usually solitary outside of the breeding season, Wild boar are usually crepuscular, foraging from dusk until dawn but with resting periods during both night and day. If surprised or cornered, the male lowers its head, charges, and then slashes upward with his tusks. Such attacks are not often fatal to humans, but may result in severe trauma. Just ask anyone who has had anything to do with the Snake.

This decision is being considered less than a week before the new CEO is due to commence her employment with the CRC.

One would have to question the motive for making any decisions on senior staff contracts before engaging the new CEO.

Friends of Douglas Shire expresses our deepest concern that council is even considering this. Any decisions made in regard to the contracts of senior staff should be delayed until the new CEO has consulted with council and is given the opportunity to input into who is on her executive team.

Why the great haste? To potentially undermine the new CEO in this way, before she even arrives, can only led to further division in the Cairns Regional Council.

Should they decide to extend these contracts in advance of the arrival of the new CEO the community will view it with extreme scepticism. On the other hand the Council have the opportunity to demonstrate transparency and accountability by properly engaging the new CEO in any decisions regarding the executive team of the Cairns Regional Council.

I urge everyone to send a letter the mayor and councillors of Cairns Regional Council immediately, and c.c. Desley Boyle, Jason O'Brien, Howard Hobbs.

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